Spraying devices can work to clean surfaces and/or enclosed areas, preferably while reducing the manual work previously required for such a task. In relation to a spraying device for cleaning a toilet, such devices can help to reduce the undesirable bacteria and virus particles sent into the air and surrounding area every time the toilet is flushed.
There are a number of systems which have been developed to try to prevent the spread of active airborne micro-organisms and viruses from a toilet after flushing. U.S. Pat. No. 5,906,009 discloses a toilet bowl that has gases and bacteria or virus-laden mist removed directly there from by an air evacuation system, both during and after use of the toilet. This system requires a special toilet bowl and a separate and relatively expensive air evacuation system. WO00/01423 discloses a method of disinfecting or sanitising a space occupied by airborne micro-organisms and/or viruses, which method comprises directing into the space unipolar charged liquid droplets from a spray device containing a disinfecting or sanitising composition. The preferred spray device is a domestic pressure-spraying device capable of being hand held.
EP1467820 discloses an automated sprayer for spraying an enclosure with a liquid cleanser, whereby the sprayer contains a reservoir for holding the liquid cleanser, a pump in fluid communication with the reservoir and a movable spray head having an outlet orifice through which cleanser from the reservoir can be expelled during operation of the pump. The sprayer disclosed by this document also contains an electric motor drive mechanism for operating the pump and also simultaneously moving the spray head in a rotating direction. Although it is mentioned in EP1467820 that the enclosure could suitably be a toilet bowl (with the lid in closed position), the automated sprayer is sized for and is disclosed in said document to be mainly for use in bath and shower enclosures.
WO2012/156170 discloses an automated spraying device for spraying an enclosure with a liquid cleaner. The device has a reservoir for containing the liquid cleanser, a pump in fluid communication with the reservoir and a movable spray head having an outlet orifice through which cleanser from the reservoir can be expelled. The spraying device contains an electrical motor drive mechanism for sequentially operating the pump and moving the spray head so that the spray head is not simultaneously spraying and moving.
A number of toilet cleaning devices extend into the toilet to provide a more thorough cleaning, including EP2071087 A2 and DE19908779 A1. DE19908779 A1 discloses a cleaning member at the end of an extendable column of bellows. The cleaning member can have nozzles for spraying, bristles for scrubbing or both and extends into the toilet bowl for the spraying and/or scrubbing operation. EP2071087 A2 discloses a self cleaning toilet with a special toilet cover that has a hollow body for housing a cleaning mechanism. The cleaning nozzle body of the cleaning mechanism can extend into the toilet through a telescoping and scissor lattice arrangement. Each of these extend the cleaning mechanism deep into the toilet bowl for cleaning, requiring a large amount of moving parts for the large range of motion.
Therefore, there remains a need to improve the safety, reliability, hygienic performance and/or other aspects of spraying devices for spraying a fluid. In particular there exists such a need with regard to such spraying devices for use in a toilet.